Quick

El Paso Natural Gas and El Paso Energy Merchant Co. have called on FERC to provide “immediate guidance” on the “record status” of the Commission enforcement section’s bid for an expanded investigation into whether the two companies conspired to drive up gas prices in Southern California.

An attempt to score a quick tax-cut coup has been quietly abandoned by TransCanada PipeLines Ltd., which beat a retreat from a public airing of its political agenda in a potentially lengthy regulatory case. The company said it would hold off action on the case pending the report of a federal-provincial task force which is considering changes in the overall pipeline regulatory regime.

An attempt to score a quick tax-cut coup has been quietly abandoned by TransCanada PipeLines Ltd., which beat a retreat from a public airing of its political agenda in a potentially lengthy regulatory case. The company said it would hold off action on the case pending the report of a federal-provincial task force which is considering changes in the overall pipeline regulatory regime.

Undaunted by a quick and negative response from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week on their effort to force federal regulators to install price caps in the West (see Daily GPI, May 30), California lawmakers fired off a filing to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Tuesday, seeking rehearing of an April 26 FERC decision. The state lawmakers

An attempt to score a quick tax-cut coup is stretching out into a federal case for TransCanada PipeLines Ltd., with governments that stand to lose the money being offered a chance to put up a fight. The National Energy Board has put off deciding even whether it has to approve the action until TransCanada explains itself much more fully. At the same time, the NEB is working on a procedure for collecting reactions by the provincial governments which stand to lose money as a result of the scheme. All have been officially informed by the board.

Enron Energy Services (EES) continued on its quick pace of business in 2001 as it reported that it has entered into two long-term agreements to manage energy supplies with large retailers last week. EES will manage the energy needs for all of Saks Inc.’s store locations, distribution facilities and administrative offices in 39 states. EES also teamed with J.C. Penney Co. to cover the acquisition of about $600 million in energy-related commodities for its retail locations. Terms of the Saks deal were not disclosed.

Enron Energy Services (EES) continued on its quick pace of business in 2001 as it reported that it has entered into two long-term agreements to manage energy supplies with large retailers over the last two days. EES will manage the energy needs for all of Saks Inc.’s store locations, distribution facillities and administrative offices in 39 states. EES also teamed with J.C. Penney Co. to cover the acquisition of about $600 million in energy-related commodities for its retail locations. Terms of the Saks deal were not disclosed.

There appeared to be nothing in the way of concrete progress towardresolving the California energy crisis, as much-talked about long termpower contracts have failed to materialize, and negotiations areapparently just beginning on the plan of state politicos to buy outthe power lines of the state’s investor-owned utilities (see DailyGPI, Feb. 20)

A federal judge in Los Angeles yesterday denied debt-riddenSouthern California Edison’s plea to begin immediately passing onits mounting wholesale power debt load to retail customers.